Here is my background. I was a music major in college. I have played trombone for nearly 20 years, and have also played other instruments. In college I did take private piano lessons for 4 years. Unfortunately I didn't take it very seriously then.(to much partying I guess). Anyway now I want to start playing piano again and I can not figure out what book to buy. My problem is, that I can read music in any clef, and I know all about music theory, so I don't need a book that teaches me how to sit at the piano, and what note goes where, you know the basics. I need a book that will actually teach me to play. Does anyone have a good one they would recommend??

Thanks,

Books are no good for you now--they're there to teach you to READ MUSIC. Find a good teacher.

Unfortunately right now I do not have the time to take formal lessons, with 3 kids and all, but hopefully in the near future I can work something out. In the mean time, what can I do?

You might look at the Piano Handbook by Carl Humphries. It moves along pretty fast.

Piano Proficiency by Louise Guhl. It's actually a written out form of her university program for music majors that her colleagues asked her to write out. She develops a a number of things systematically over the chapters, and the material is fairly concentrated. I wrote a fair bit about it last year and a search for "Guhl" should bring you there. Among other things, I am able to sight read prima vista while transposing thanks to her method. You cannot do any of the exercises with a turned off mind, plus she keeps changing the point of focus and then returns to whatever it was later, expanding it.

Agreed with Emily that a good teacher will give so much more (if we're able to take that route, which sometimes we can't).

KS

Interesting response. Can you explain your reasoning? Why wouldn't books be useful?